Report: Starbucks to sell instant coffee

Advertising Age reports that Starbucks is poised to launch a “soluble coffee product” — yes, that’s the same sort of substance as Sanka and Folgers — in its cafes as early as next month.

AdAge said the instant coffee, dubbed Via, “is said to be a long-term pet project of Chief Executive Howard Schultz and as such will get a significant marketing push.”

“Although the new product seems well-positioned for the current economy in which premium-priced coffee can be a tough sell, Via is not just a sign of the times. The instant product has been many years in the making and is designed to mimic the taste of store-bought Starbucks — the point the company is expected to make in its marketing for the brand.”